There is a significant demand for labor migrants in Ukraine, which will reach up to 400,000 people annually. This is due to a shortage of personnel in key sectors of the economy, despite the fact that there are millions of unemployed individuals in the country. Expert Oleg Pendzin, a member of the Economic Discussion Club, explains that this situation is caused by structural problems in the labor market, as well as the consequences of war and a demographic crisis.
This is reported by Finway
Demographic Challenges and Labor Shortages
According to Pendzin, the need for labor migrants is increasing every year. In light of wartime losses, the mass exodus of citizens abroad, and an aging population, Ukraine finds itself in a situation where economic growth is impossible without attracting external labor.
“Ukraine will need 300,000 to 400,000 labor migrants each year to support the economy, despite currently having nearly 2 million unemployed,”
the expert notes.
The presence of registered unemployed individuals does not guarantee that the economy has a sufficient number of qualified specialists.
“We have quite a significant structural unemployment. There are certain professions that are in severe shortage,”
Pendzin explains, emphasizing the lack of skilled workers, engineers, designers, and heavy truck drivers.
Labor Market Response and Immigration Processes
The shortage of specialists is already prompting employers to seek workers from outside Ukraine. According to Pendzin, certain companies are turning to foreign labor markets; for example, workers from Bangladesh have been invited to work at a new woodworking enterprise in Transcarpathia.
This situation indicates that the problem of personnel shortages has become practical rather than merely theoretical. Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, over 6.8 million people have left Ukraine, the majority of whom are of working age and are unlikely to return in the near future.
“Demographers say that Ukraine needs to import around 300,000 to 400,000 labor migrants each year,”
Pendzin emphasized.
For effective post-war reconstruction of the country, it is necessary to create at least 4 million new jobs. However, without people willing to fill these positions, any economic recovery will remain unattainable. The expert also notes that Ukraine should:
- actively reform vocational education;
- implement programs to attract labor migrants;
- increase the attractiveness of work in Ukraine, particularly through raising salaries and improving working conditions;
- develop a state strategy for demographic recovery.